Page 53 of Omega Tricked
“Not at all.” I forced myself to speak with a lightness I was far from feeling. “I’m pissed at Charles, not you.”
“I understand your frustration.” He studied me. “Well, I’ll see you Wednesday.” He looked past me, as if making sure Lex was nowhere around eavesdropping. “We have two omegas scheduled to deliver.”
“I’ll be there.”
He smiled. “Excellent. See you then.” He strode down the short path to the street.
I watched him until he was out of sight, and then I closed the door, feeling uneasy. That had been a kind gesture by Dr. Peters, allowing Lex an extra day to heal. But I still could tell he didn’t trust Lex. Charles was suspicious by nature, but Dr. Peters really wasn’t. Yet he too seemed wary of Lex. Was I right that Charles had poisoned his opinion, or was he really sensing something in Lex that I was missing? After what I’d been through with Jacob, I didn’t trust my own instincts a hundred percent.
I went back to the kitchen and stirred the pot of broth while I tried to think things through. I needed to make more of an effort to get things out of Lex. It did make me uncomfortable that I had no idea about his life. I didn’t even know where he was from, or if he had siblings. I’d trusted him based solely on the fact we’d shared a traumatic experience together. But it was time to dig deeper. If Lex was on the up-and-up, there was no reason he shouldn’t be okay with talking about himself.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with me finishing the stew and cleaning the cabin. I liked to clean when I was stressed. I felt more relaxed with everything in its place. I scrubbed my bathroom, the whole time thinking about every moment I’d ever spent with Lex. During the cooking classes, I myself hadn’t really trusted him. Why? What had it been about him that made me leery to get to know him? Tucker hadn’t had any such reservations, but Tucker was like that. He was open and friendly to everyone. What had bothered me about Lex was he’d seemed too good to be true. Too slick. Too sophisticated to be in Yellow Springs, let alone taking a rec center cooking class.
I hated thinking I couldn’t trust Lex. He’d saved me. Even once we’d returned to the compound, he’d been so kind to me, and comforting when I told him about Jacob and Ayden. He’d been genuinely horrified to hear my story, and that hadn’t been fake. I was sure of it. But there were a lot of gaps with Lex. The fact I’d spent at least two days with him and knew nothing about him was a red flag. I couldn’t imagine why he’d bother trying to trick me though. What would be his endgame? Being inside the compound was extremely restrictive. If he had ulterior motives, he’d have stayed on the outside. Of course, he couldn’t have known what life was like in here. He’d have had no idea how suspicious Charles was, or that he’d have been watched the moment he entered.
I tried to remember every conversation I’d ever had with Lex. One thing that had put my back up about Lex in the beginning was that he’d asked a lot of questions about the compound. He’d been super interested in the animal attack too. But wouldn’t anyone be? While I felt Lex was hiding things, I was too. He had no idea that I was a solar eclipse omega, or that they even existed. Lots of people had secrets, but that didn’t mean they were evil. Maybe Lex had things in his life he was embarrassed about, and so he didn’t volunteer them. That didn’t make him a bad person.
The rest of the day went by with those confusing thoughts spinning around inside my head. I trusted Lex and I trusted Dr. Peters. Because of that, it was impossible to come to a satisfactory conclusion about what to think. When dinnertime approached, I ladled a hearty serving of soup for Lex and put some warm bread on a plate. I carried the tray into his bedroom, and he looked excited to see the food.
“Looks like your appetite is back.” I smiled and set the tray on his lap.
He inhaled the warm yeasty scent of the bread and then the soup with a sigh. “This smells delicious.”
“I hope it is. It’s about the only thing I really know how to cook.” I pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.
He picked up the spoon and glanced at me. “Aren’t you eating?”
“I’ll eat later. I had a big lunch,” I lied. Truth was, I had no appetite. I was too stressed out about things.
He nodded and dug into the steaming stew. He groaned at the first bite and licked his lips. “This is amazing.”
“Really?” I beamed. “It’s a family recipe.”
“It’s fantastic.” He continued eating.
I watched him for a few moments, feeling an inordinate amount of satisfaction at how much he seemed to enjoy the food. I hadn’t had anyone to cook for in so long. Taking care of Lex fed my need as an omega to nurture. “There’s more if you want seconds.”
He shook his head, scraping the bottom of the bowl with his spoon. “No. This was perfect.” He finished off his bread, and then he closed his eyes. “I’ve never enjoyed a meal more.”
I laughed. “I find that hard to believe. You probably dine at fancy restaurants all the time. All foodies do.”
He opened his eyes and smiled. “Still, there’s nothing like a home-cooked meal.”
“Okay. I’ll give you that.” I cleared my throat. “I have some good news.”
He looked at me expectantly.
“You have an extra day’s reprieve before you have to talk to Charles.”
He looked shocked. “I do?”
“Yes. Dr. Peters told him you needed one extra day to rest.” I smiled at how nonplussed he appeared.
“Really?”
“Yep.”
He laughed weakly. “That’s great. I was dreading tomorrow.”
